


Smile Like the World Opening Up

by PennamePersona



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Feeling Good and Whole, Fluff, More Like Realizing You're in Love, Post-Canon (During Finale Ending Kinda), Post-Finale, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 13:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20779415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennamePersona/pseuds/PennamePersona
Summary: Duck sees the arc of Minerva’s blade out of the corner of his eye and reflexively turns his head towards the movement. He watches her slide her weapon cleanly through the light being, a massive grin erupting across her face when she sees the distortion she’s caused.Fuck, I love that, he thinks, and then: Wait, what does that -And then Beacon shrieks in delight at the approaching aggressors, and Duck finds himself very thoroughly distracted.





	Smile Like the World Opening Up

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck what a good show

Duck sees the arc of Minerva’s blade out of the corner of his eye and reflexively turns his head towards the movement. He watches her slide her weapon cleanly through the light being, a massive grin erupting across her face when she sees the distortion she’s caused.

_ Fuck, I love that _ , he thinks, and then:  _ Wait, what does that _ -

And then Beacon shrieks in delight at the approaching aggressors, and Duck finds himself very thoroughly distracted.

* * *

It’s after the failed paper jam goof, after he stabs Beacon into something for the last time (thank  _ Christ _ ), and just barely after the conversation with Billy.

Thacker’s decision seems to be easy, same as Mama and Vincent. Aubrey seems like she’s doing some kind of magical thing about her choice, which seems about par for the course, honestly. Duck doesn’t envy her. It seems like she’s the one with the hardest choice.

Although -

“Hey Minerva,” Duck says, looking up at her. Fuck but she’s just so  _ big _ . He remembers thinking, once, that he should probably be intimidated by that, but if he ever was, he’s long past it now. 

“Yes, Wayne Newton?” Minerva says, turning directly towards him and giving him all of her attention. She does that, just gives all of her focus to a person, like whatever they’re saying is the most important part of her world for that moment. It’s almost too much pressure.

“What’re you gonna do?” He asks. He can see that crease between her eyes, the way her whole face seems to pull together, just a bit. It’s so easy for him to read her, though he does have a bit of an unfair advantage. He learned to read her when she was just a projection of light, and now that he has facial cues, it’s almost too easy.

“I don’t really know, Wayne Newton.” She says. She looks away from him, then, back towards the portals. “It is strange for me, to have this choice. I am from neither of these worlds, neither of them have been my home, but I must choose between them regardless.”

“Well, you stayed with me for a bit,” Duck says, quietly, more like an offer than maybe he means. She turns back to him and grins again. He’s not so caught off guard, this time.

“Then perhaps I have had a home!” She says. He can’t tell if it really is that easy for her. He guesses it probably isn’t, but he’s not gonna push on this one. Not now, not if she’s smiling.

“Okay, so, I’m gonna go to Sylvain and live with Dani and, like, repopulate the whole planet or whatever,” Aubrey says. Her eyes aren’t glowing all weird anymore, so Duck figures she’s done being a human walkie-talkie. 

“Seems about right,” Duck says. There’s a weight on his chest, looking at this young lady, with her fiery hair and fierier personality. 

“I’m gonna miss you, Duck.” She says. She’s smiling that cheesy “I’m feeling emotions but I wanna be cool about it” smile, and Duck knows they’re both thinking the same thing.

“Yeah, I’m gonna miss you too, Lady Flame.” He says. He pats her on the shoulder, more awkwardly than he wants to, and thank god she takes initiative and gives him a big bear hug.

The rest of the goodbyes sting less, but none of it is nice. Duck plants a flag in one last hope, then, that they’ll figure something out so he can see these people again - so they can all see each other again, someday soon.

But fuck, until then, he’ll take a rest from all this shit.

He walks into the portal, and mostly convinces himself he’s glad to leave it all behind.

* * *

He tries to relax. Really, he does.

Lazy as he was in high school, years of avoiding destiny completely aside, it turns out that Duck Newton just isn’t very good at doing nothing.

And Minerva isn’t helping. 

Well, no, she is. That’s the problem. She’s this force of good, of encouragement, pushing him to get off his couch and come train with Leo and Sarah, and he swears they talked about stopping this last week, but here she is again.

It’s not like it bothers him that she keeps coming by. He makes comments, sometimes, about how he should just get another freezer for toaster waffles, but even Minerva knows there’s no bite to it. He likes her here.

They talked last week, and the week before that, and the week before that one, about her leaving. They said things about going their separate ways, but it just…

Didn’t happen.

And Duck’s starting to figure out why.

<line break>

It’s when she kicks his ass at Sorry that he gets it.

“Aha, I’ve figured it out, Wayne Newton!” She says, pointing at the card. “It’s saying ‘Sorry’ in jest! I am not meant to be ‘Sorry’ at all!”

She’s grinning, like she’s the cleverest thing in the world, and god, he thinks so too. He thinks she’s smart, the smartest damn person he knows, and she’s so tough, not just physically. She’s so emotionally powerful, so much a rock in any storm, and even he can’t put off this realization any longer.

“Yeah, you got it in one, Minerva.” Duck says. He can feel the smile on his face, the physical, tangible way that his fondness is showing. He can’t hide it, doesn’t even want to. He knows she’ll see it, clever and observant like she is.

And fuck, he doesn’t want to hide it.

“This seems an odd strategy.” Minerva says, her triumphant grin turning quickly into a frown of deep contemplation. “What purpose is there in flaunting such an obvious falsehood? Surely this will not point me to victory.”

“I fucking love you.” 

He says it like she punched it out of him, which really, isn’t so far from the truth.

Minerva’s eyes freeze on the card.

She blinks a couple times, opens her mouth, closes it. Duck’s never seen her at a loss for words like this before, and it’s kinda neat just to watch.

“What was that, Duck Newton?” She asks, like a whisper, if Minerva’s even capable of being that quiet. There’s disbelief in her voice, but he can hear that it’s layered over something like hope, something like happiness, and that’s more than enough for him.

“I said I love you, Minerva.” Duck says. “And I think I want you to stay with me. Like, not here, I’m planning to leave Kepler, but...I want you to come with me. I want...I want to be with you.”

He watches that grin slowly unfurl across her face, and she finally looks up from the Sorry card.

“I accept your offer of companionship, Duck Newton!” She says, all the confidence of two worlds behind her.

He can’t help but laugh at that, at her boundless enthusiasm, at her open happiness, at the beautiful, wonderful way she makes him feel like himself.

“What is so funny, Duck Newton?” Minerva asks. “Or, my apologies, what is so funny,  _ Wayne _ Newton?”

“God, you can call me Duck, Minnie.” He says. His grin feels as big as hers. “Now come on, let’s try this kissin’ thing, I bet you’re gonna bite half my face off, huh?”

She doesn’t, of course, though she is intense. He didn’t expect otherwise, but god, he loves the way her grin feels against his mouth.

* * *

“Thank you, Duck.”

They’re sitting outside, one night, listening to the sounds of the forest. The Amazon is different from the Monongahela, to be sure, but especially when it’s quiet, Duck still feels at home.

More so since she’s here.

“What for, Min’?”

She takes his hand, holds it between both of hers. He loves being held by this woman, loves how protected and whole she makes him feel.

“You have...opened my eyes, Duck. This world is so much more vibrant, so much more full of life and hope and peace than I ever would’ve expected. I love it here. I love you, Duck.”

He huffs a small laugh, and leans fully against her.

“Thank you too, Minnie.” 

He kisses her, mostly just because he can.

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are cool comments are great, hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I take writing requests! Information at: [provisionalpenname on tumblr](https://provisionalpenname.tumblr.com)


End file.
